


The Stranger in Black; by Gail Manfre

by bookscape



Category: Zorro (TV 1957)
Genre: Gen, Guy Williams - Freeform, Hollywood Walk of Fame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-09 14:50:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19478161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookscape/pseuds/bookscape
Summary: Poems and Essays celebrating Zorro and the actor Guy Williams, who played the character.





	The Stranger in Black; by Gail Manfre

**Author's Note:**

> Poems and Essays celebrating Zorro and the actor Guy Williams, who played the character.

The Stranger in Black

_**The Stranger in Black**_

_**by**_

_**Gail Manfre**_  
  
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**Forward: As usual, I generally dream beforehand what I am going to write, and this statement is extremely applicable when the subject of my nocturnal musings is my favorite "stranger in black," El Zorro.**

**It seems that one dark and dreary night, the Fox rides to the rescue of a maiden fair... well, let us kindly permit the lady to relate her tale of meeting every female's fantasy, El Zorro!**

**Gail D. Manfre, Copyright, 5/9/2002**  
  
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**The Stranger in Black**  
  
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**As worked by day in the tavern**  
---  
**And slept in a tiny room there by night,**  
**I heard Los Hombres tell tall tales**  
**Of a mysterious man who would fight**  
**To destroy evil Monastario's corruption.**  
**A protector of justice wearing black,**  
**With his sword he defended the weak**  
**Fighting to turn the Comandante's evil tide back.**  
  
**Such tall tales were always as legends**  
**To a simple, young serving girl like me**  
**Who struggled each day for a living?**  
**With no one to care what befell me.**  
**I had no Father, no Uncle, no Brother**  
**To summon in danger or in need**  
**No husband, nor handsome betrothed**  
**For help to whom could a poor girl plead?**  
  
**The Posada owner had rented out my room,**  
**To pay high taxes the Comandante had laid.**  
**What rest could I ever hope to find after**  
**A long journey home of two miles I made**  
**Each night? The wind was cold and miserable**  
**One dark and terrible rainy night**  
**'Twas very hard to force myself to go on**  
**I dreaded that walk--- I was filled with fright.**  
  
**Yet as my limbs grew weak I truly thought**  
**That I heard above the deep thunder's roar**  
**A kind voice say: "Chiquita mia, never have I**  
**seen you so late on this wretched road before**  
**On a night such as this one so foul**  
**From such cruel treatment men have died.**  
**Tornado and I will escort you to your door**  
**Señorita, you've heard of me, you can trust your eyes.**  
  
**As the white lightning flashed it revealed**  
**A black mask hiding kind eyes of hazel.**  
**He laughed softly as he pulled me up**  
**And in those strong arms me he did cradle.**  
**So, this was the "outlaw" of local legend,**  
**El Zorro! From the Fox I feared no attack,**  
**I truly thought that he was an angel, and**  
**Drew closer to him as more thunder cracked.**  
  
**Little did we know this night held another**  
**Who watched whither El Zorro would go,**  
**For evil Monastario planned to seize him.**  
**But the Fox's thoughts were not of his foe.**  
**"Señorita, the weather is so fierce that I**  
**Must find us some shelter from this foul storm.**  
**Monastario smiled; he could not believe his eyes.**  
**Surely this time, Zorro would not be warned.**  
  
**The outlaw who called himself the Fox was leading**  
**Him to his lair. Over the howling winds and rains**  
**I told my beloved hero that I saw the**  
**Comandante's horse very near me. 'Twas very plain**  
**He was planning soon to begin his attack**  
**The Masked One nodded and found a dry cave**  
**To shelter us from the brutal wind and cold.**  
**From Monastario both of us he would save.**  
  
**"How long," I asked Señor Zorro, the Fox,**  
**Did you know that the Comandante was here?"**  
**He laughed as he replied "I have know for**  
**Quite a while the _grand raton_ would appear.**  
**Sometimes the Hunted must become the Hunter**  
**If good is to prevail. Much shame does he bear**  
**He is not content to arrest me and hold a fair**  
**Trial. He truly disgraces the noble uniform he wears!**  
  
**"I believe you since you are the people's hero**  
**The Comandante would murder you if he could**  
**You _must_ defeat him in an honorable duel, man**  
**to man, Just as any fine true caballero would!"**  
**My defender wrapped me in a dry cloak. Then**  
**Zorro brushed back my long raven hair**  
**'Tis a fate I long pondered. It does seem**  
**That I must again face him in combat fair!"**  
  
**With his enemy so near no fire would the Fox build**  
**He held me even closer, so our warmth we'd share.**  
**Zorro gazed deeply into my jade green eyes**  
**Saying long had he admired my ivory fair**  
**Skin. "Such beauty any man would prize!"**  
**And wished he could remain with me instead.**  
**His words were sweeter to me than fine wine,**  
**And on his strong shoulder did I lay my weary head.**  
  
**The Dark Angel kissed me as no other man had done.**  
**Since that night I swore ne'er another man would.**  
**How peaceful was my sleep in his strong arms;**  
**His caress soothed me as no other man could!**  
**But too soon I was awakened by the forceful sound**  
**Of metal clashing upon metal, two eternal enemies**  
**Were locked in mortal combat. The Comandante**  
**Assured the Fox that in his bed he would soon have me.**  
  
**They fought on and on 'til a new day was near.**  
**Their fury was so great each had cuts bleeding;**  
**Both men dueled if time itself they could ignore**  
**Neither cuts nor bruises would they be heeding.**  
**Monastario then yelled that I should abandon**  
**My beloved since the Fox is an outlaw and not a real man!**  
**But I knew that the true hero would be left standing,**  
  
**Because good always spurns evil, and Zorro's**  
**Saber blows reflected his outrage and mounting anger.**  
**And in no time Monastario was laid low on the earth!**  
**For Zorro did promise that he'd defend me from danger**  
**"You are but a weakling, ever fearful of the strong,"**  
**As he taunted the Comandante, "Defeat me if you can!**  
**Do you realize that you will never best the Fox?**  
**Because you are a shirker and never will be a man!"**  
  
**With El Zorro's saber tip pressed against Monastario's neck**  
**The Comandante gave me the respect I demanded.**  
**Since their duel the evil Monastario has not bothered me,**  
**His worthless life did my sweet Fox to him remand.**  
**My kind-hearted savior swore I would no longer labor**  
**At the tavern, with my back and arms hurting me.**  
**For me he found a position with the nice de la Vegas**  
**And each day in that hacienda much joy did I see.**  
  
**Alas, time passed and the glorious Fox no longer did I see.**  
**Yet one night when I exited the hacienda's gate**  
**I saw the full moon shining bright and I heard**  
**Tornado's hooves behind me. It was so very late.**  
**Could it possibly be... then from the inky shadows**  
**I heard his deep, husky voice whispering to me**  
**"I have something to say for only your gentle ears**  
**Esta noche, chiquita, will you travel with me?"**  
  
**Muscular arms raised me onto Tornado's back**  
**And that sexy baritone voice murmured to me**  
**"Siempre be my corazon, always be mine!"**  
**Weak were my protests and my tears were those**  
**Of purest joy, for the kindest heart of the Stranger**  
**In Black, El Zorro was now mine forever to claim.**  
**My lips did he cover with his own so filled with**  
**Desire, the Fox's kisses nearly drove me insane.**  
  
**Then as at last as dawn's light finally appeared**  
**El Zorro with a heavy heart released me.**  
**As the full moon played silent rhapsody of**  
**Shadows across his masked face, it occurred to me**  
**That something yet strange yet happily familiar**  
**Lay beneath that disguise. Dios! 'Twas those**  
**Resplendent hazel eyes, certainly no matter trivial!**  
  
**For just as the Fox's kiss upon the back**  
**Of my hand caused our eyes to lock anew**  
**Only then did I realize that my sweet, dear**  
**El Zorro's and Don Diego's gorgeous, true**  
**Hazel eyes, were no mistake, one and the same.**  
**"Now my secret you know, and I trust you**  
**With all my heart it you shall never reveal!"**  
**And I replied, "My corazon, I exist only to protect you!"**  
  
[](mailto:gailmanfre@bellsouth.net) **Like it? Email the author.**  
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**[Zorro Contents](http://www.bookscape.net/zorrocontents.htm)**  
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**[Main Page](http://www.bookscape.net/index.htm)**


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